Water Weeps
by Kitt
Summary: My first!


Water Weeps

The rain and wind had almost stopped. 

Zelda glanced up at the familiar sweep of sky, her chest tight with anticipation. Any minute now she expected the rain to fall heavily again and flood the valley with reckless abandon. It had been raining for almost three weeks with no sign of it stopping, let alone letting up, and the people of Hyrule had almost come to accept this destructive force of nature that had uprooted their trees and watered down their crops. Impa had even half-jokingly predicted that it would continue this way until the world came to an end. But this time, Zelda's loyal servant was wrong. 

Arching her neck she closed her eyes and let the cool breeze caress her face. But as it did she found herself unable to contain the raw emotions that she'd all but buried within the deepest recesses of her mind. Hot tears stung her eyes but she paid no attention, spreading her arms wide and turning the palms of her hands upwards so that they faced the sky. The water on her face was soothing. Tracking down her cheeks in place of the tears she knew would never come. As a princess she'd learned to shield her feelings from others, erect walls that would keep them out and allow her to perform her duty without intrusion. But how sad that those shields still held, even when in private, for she could still not allow herself to feel.

Her dress flapped softly as the wind blew past, and she felt the cold seize her bare legs. They collapsed out from under her and she fell to the damp earth unceremoniously in a folded heap. 

The grass was moist, still wet from the rain. An assortment of petals lay at her feet, undoubtedly detached from their respective plants by the wind. Face against the ground, she breathed in the hail of heavenly fragrances, slowly, deeply, savoring too the taste it left in her mouth, content to simply lie there. An alien voice jarred her out of her reverie.

"My lady?"

The voice belonged to her new young handmaiden Effreena, who emerged cautiously out from behind a stone pillar. She was barefooted. 

Taken back by the girls' sudden appearance, Zelda bolted up, her expression taking on a hard edge upon realizing that the girl had seen her at her most vulnerable state. She felt her face flare up in anger. 

"What are you doing out here?" She barked, turning her back to shake the dampness out of her eyes. "I didn't summon you!"

The young girl backed up nervously, caught unaware by Zelda's outburst. Her green eyes widened then darted back and forth between the dimly lit horizon and the young queen that sat stoically on the ground. Zelda felt only a brush of irritation at the girl's prolonged silence and simply waited while the girl struggled for words.

"My lady, Impa was worried when you were absent from your bed and requested I check the Garden for your presence."

Zelda acknowledged the name by clenching her jaw, even though she knew Impa was only acting on a maternal instinct, just as she had been for the last ten years. Behind her Effreena had moved further down the steps, dragging her cream dress along the granite floor. 

"My Lady," She tried again, this time with a softer voice. "Are you alright? Shall I fetch Impa?" She stopped halfway down and maintained a respective distance between her and her queen while she waited for an answer. 

Zelda chewed on her lip then stared up at the sky. Her anger was already beginning to dissipate and she knew she had no excuse to be out here at this time of night. Staying would only beg questions that she felt no desire to answer. If Impa found her in this state she would only do what she thought was best, and that would be to drag her to the Temple and pray, and pray again. Zelda bowed her head in resignation and looked over her shoulder towards Effreena.

"No." She said quietly, her tone void of the malice it held only a moment ago. "I will come."

Standing up, she allowed the handmaiden to rush over and help guide her back towards the castle. Her legs were still wobbly and her body fragile and weak. She cast a look of longing back at the garden, almost sure that amidst the flowery shrubs, and well manicured grass and the trimmed hedges, there sat a young boy against the fountain, his face one of grim concentration as he played with his toy yoyo. She watched as frustration gave way to delight, and he artfully performed a move only a skilled few were able to do, then clapped his hands and punched his fist towards the sky. Then he was gone, only to be replaced by a much older version of the same boy, his head titled thoughtfully towards the unseen stars. He then met her gaze, his eyes lighting up with recognition. Then, he reached out towards her with one hand as if trying to grab a hold of her image. Then… he was gone. 

Whatever tears she had held back let loose now. Inwardly, Zelda cried. Cried for the hero that would always be… and for the boy that she had lost. Effreena said nothing as tears slid down the young Queen's cheeks. Her expression still remained the same though; lost, alone, impenetrable. Zelda hated herself for crying in front of the young handmaiden, and weariness would not let her lift a hand to wipe away the tears. 

Behind her, only invisible now, the older boy sadly looked on, a lost hero amidst the stars. 

…………….

Authors Note: The title 'Water Weeps' doesn't really have any literal significance to this story, but rather it's a quote from this lovely little Spanish poem that I felt embodied the mood. And in case you it wasn't clear enough, Link died while fighting Gannon and Zelda's mourning in her own way. Boohoo. The end. =) Sensitive aren't I? Well, write to me at kitya_kat@hotmail.com and tell me what you think. 


End file.
